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A Chance Meeting: The South Road

For all intense purposes I am trying to remain as true as I can to Tolkien's writings, with the utmost respect. Per Tolkien, Girion was the last known Lord of Dale near the Valley of the River Running, and died in the desolation of Dale in the fires of Smaug the dragon. Girion had a wife and son that survived. Again for the purposes of this story I have had to altered this portion of the story. Thorin at this time is 22 years (in Dwarf years). According to Tolkien's writing Thorin was 24 (in Dwarf years) when Smaug invaded Erebor and this story begins two years prior in 2768.

Cast of OC:

Éomer:

Lord of Dale. Éomer is six foot two inches, stocky build with thick curly blonde tresses that cascade to the middle of his back with seven breads each adorned by carved metal claspings given to him by King Thror himself , a light reddish beard covers his face and his eyes are as green as emeralds.

Mirabella:

Éomer's wife. Mirabella is five foot four inches in height with hair long straight fine the color of sandy brown and eyes of brown in color. She is thick hipped and curvy with plump full breasts.

Banazîr:

Eldest child and only son of Éomer and Mirabella. He is seventeen years of age nearly six feet tall with the look and hair that favors his father.

Lúthien:

Youngest child and only daughter of Éomer and Mirabella. Lúthien at the first of the story is only four foot seven inch but in adulthood will be five foot even. Her hair also is the liking to Éomer with its rich thick curls of long golden blonde locks and eyes like deepest emerald that is found in the deepest caverns of Erebor.

Varada:

Governess to Lúthien. Varada is middle aged five four with dark hair with slight touches of gray at her temples which attributes to Lúthien wild ways. Varada has cared for Lúthien since birth.

Prologue:

"Father please…please let me come with you!" she tugged at his arm as she scurried her feet to keep up with him. "Please, father I beg of you. You know tis my one desire in life."

He knelt down at his youngest daughter. "Lúthien, you know that you are not permitted to come to Erebor with me, we have been through this a thousand times." He chuckled softly as her shoulders and head slumped. Éomer smiled into her sad green eyes as he lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. "Lúthien, my sweet girl. When will you stop asking me this?"

"Never." She pouted with a stomp of her foot, holding her head high in defiance.

Éomer broke out in a hardly roar lifting the girl into his arms. "You are far too strong willed for one so young daughter. Where in Middle Earth did you ever get such a fierce temper?" His head snapped backward as he heard a few bits of coughing from his Captain and dearest friend. And gave a chuckle himself as true to the sounds he had a stubborn streak that ran as wide as the Running River itself. He turned back to Lúthien braced his forehead against hers growled playfully. "And that scowl across your brows does nothing for your beauty my pet. You will wind up being a sour puss of a tart such as the likes of your-" he looked about then whispered in her ear. "….your mother."

She huffed hard, as her scowl deepened and arms crossed her chest. "I am naught a child father- I am near 15 years of age-least I shall be when the spring comes again and that makes me practically a -a-a woman!" Her anger grew at the roar of laughter that escaped from deep within her father's chest.

"Oh my dear sweet child!" His head tilted back as she wiggled from his hold and ran down the corridor, ducking in window alcove in furry. "Oh come now pet, I meant no offense."

"Tis just because I am small in stature that everyone mistakes me for a child!" She snorted and hissed angrily.

Éomer headed toward his daughter holding up his hand to stop his guards from following. When he came to where Lúthien was sulking he knelt once again, reached out to turn her around and took her hands in his. "Daughter, will be time enough for you to be grown. And soon you truly will be a woman and leave your old papa to make a home of your own." He raised her hands to his lips and kissed them gently. "Until such a time you should learn to enjoy your life and stop trying to hurry your life along. Take it from an old man. Time will slip by you before you know it." Éomer stood cupping her chin in his large hand. "Now I must be off to Erebor. I am to present myself to king Thror and prince Thrain for a meeting…." Tapping her on the nose with the next five words. "And I am nearly late." He called for one of the guards. "See that my daughter is brought to her governess immediately."

The light haired brooding man inclined his head taking Lúthien by the elbow. "As you command m'lord Éomer."

Lúthien jerked her arm away and stormed off lifting her skirt hems high. "I am not a child father and I am perfectly able to find my own way to my chambers! I do not require an escort!"

Éomer shook his head as he watched his defiant daughter tromp off in the distance. "She is going to be the death of me that one is." He muttered under his breath. His hand hitting the guard's chest. "Follow her and see she does not slip away….. again."

"Aye m'lord Éomer ." He said firmly as he shook his head fiercely for he had been given the 'slip' by this little princess minx far too often. He headed off in the direction that she had just been. Muttering to himself that he would like to take her over his knee when he caught her and give her the right proper thrashing she deserved for being so defiant a child.

Lúthien quickened her pace and darted this way and that down stairwells and corridors until she was certain that she had lost her 'escort'. Finally she slowed down and braced herself against the stone wall holding her hand to her stomach. She shook her head and chuckled proudly at herself for once again giving everyone the 'slip'. She flipped her hair to the side and pushed off her resting spot heading to a hidden passageway located behind one of the great elaborate tapestries which she had discovered several years ago.

The opening to the outside of the keep was hidden by a hedge row that had grown rather high over the years covering its whereabouts quite nicely for Lúthien's liking.

Lúthien, where in the heavens name are you child?" It was Varada calling for her. No doubt that brooding dark guard of her father's had warned the woman to be on the lookout for her…..again.

She giggled softly into her hands as Varada, her governess, passed by the bushes without spotting her. "Oooooh that child will be the death of me yet!" The stocky woman snorted in a fluster. "Lúthien- come out this instant or your father will have my hide tacked to the wall at the tanner's." Her voice soon was a soft muffle in the distance. "Lúthien!"

She was still as a stone statue for several moments before exhaling. "Coast is clear." Lúthien sighed with relief as she cautiously poked her head out the hedgerow looking both ways before stepping out and running as fast as her legs could carry her to the one place she could be herself. The woodlands.

Several hours later in the woodlands:

She was deep in thought as she wandered through the thickets, captivated by her surroundings. The lush thick forest that lay just on the outskirts of Dale intrigued her much as did the elves that dwelled nearby. She had seen them on occasion when they would come to pay homage to the great King Thror and feasted in the Great Hall with her father and mother on occasion. She had watched the festivities from a secluded alcove. She was impressed by the woodland Elves. The lighting fast movements that their bowmen made. They were mystical creatures to her. She even feared the likes of Thanduil, the Elvenking, of the northwest "forest-eaves" of Mirkwood. And rightfully so. But it was dwarves of the Lonely Mountain that captivated her the most. How she longed to venture amongst the halls, caverns and treasures that were of Erebor. But her father would not allow it. Her face creased and her brows furrowed at how unfair that her brother Banazîr had accompanied her father on many trips into the mountain. He had told of all the rich beauty that lay within the secrets of the Mountain.

Her finger tips lightly brushed the tops of the forest ferns. She smiled as they were soft and she rather liked the way that they caressed her skin. She stopped suddenly as she heard a rustling among the foliage. A soft giggle escaped her lips as family of hedgehogs crossed her path. One even stopping to look at her before scampering off to join his companions. Lúthien looked up just in time to see a gorgeous butterfly floating and fluttering about.

Hours had passed since she strolled away from Dale and she completely lost track of the time- as she often did when she was in the woods.

"Oh dear… dear…tis growing late. Twill be my own hide tacked to the wall of the tanners by my father is I am not returned to the keep before darkness falls." She fretted as she looked at the darkening sky that filtered through the tall canopy of trees. She gathered the hems of her skirt and began to run quickly to the woodland edge where the road back to Dale was. She jumped over fallen trees and through the thick mossy foliage startling up a hare who darted away in fear of its life. Lúthien was deep in thought of the trouble she would surely find herself if she did not make it back to the keep in time when she darted out of the wood line into the road coming face to face with buckskin colored pony. The pony was startled-rearing his front legs up throwing its unexpected riding off to the ground. Lúthien was startled by the steed causing her to fall backwards hitting her head on the hard ground.

The rider leapt up, brushing his tunic and leather's off all the while cursing in his native tongue as he watched his pony canter off toward the grassy meadow. He turned toward the intruder of his rather nice daily ride snarling as he stormed toward her. Lúthien slowly sat up rubbing the back of head where she could feel a nice goose egg bump was welling. She looked up just as the imposing figure, with his long thick dark tresses, reached her.

"You foolish girl!" He snapped hard. "What in Durin's name were you thinking?" He hissed in a thick throaty growl. "Are you bent of having the very life pulled from you?" He reached down, grabbed her forearm, nearly jerking her up in one swift pull by his thick muscled arms. He looked down at her into the deepest pair of terrified green eyes. "Are you stricken with madness? Or mayhap you do truly have a death wish?" He snorted roughly as he forcefully released her. He turned and whistled for Minty who obediently returned to her master. He grabbed the reigns and walked back toward the girl who by now had gotten up and was brushing off her skirt. "Are … you…...alright girl?" He finally inquired in genuine concern. After all she was a girl... and she did seem to fall hard. He thought quickly.

"Stop calling me a girl!" She hissed loudly.

"What then shall I call you? Boy- manchild?" He growled as he mounted his pony, his concern quickly dissipating with her curt temper. "Your sharp tongue surely does not seem injured."

"I am not a boy!" she growled as she furiously turned lifting her hems and began storming off in the direction of Dale.

Thorin could not help but smirk as he watched her storming off, her blonde locks whipping about behind her as the force of her fury intensified her gate. He gave a gentle nudge and Minty went into motion.

Lúthien looked over her shoulder noting that the beastly dwarf prince and his wild creature were closing the distance swiftly. The faster she went the closer they pursued. Her lips meshed tightly and eyes clenched she spun around and snorted. Normally she found him fascinating and was intrigued by his rugged beauty. But now he just plain annoyed her with his arrogance."Why are you following me?!"

Minty stopped suddenly flicking her head to and fro causing her long mane to toss as she snorted herself. "Well… girl… boy… manchild…" He chuckled in a humorous tone as he tossed his head from side to side. Thick dark locks swooshing as he did. "Or whatever it is you may be. You do not seem to be that injured." He again chuckled heavily as crystal blue orbs rolled to the heavens.

"I am woman!" She snarled. "Not a boy…..not a girl….and certainly not a manchild, I am a w.o.m.a.n! And I grow weary of everyone calling me a 'girl' or a 'child'… you… you…you…" she stumbled for what words to describe what she felt inside. …..you stupid dwarfish oof!"

He growled heavily and leaned toward her from his saddle. "Do you know who I am…child?!" He hissed.

Lúthien cocked her head from side to side in insult at his stretching the word child out as long as her did. She spun around on her heels flinging her hair so hard it whipped around and hit her in her own face. She stuck her nose as high as she could in the air and stomped off snorting loudly. "Of course I know who are." She said curtly. "….everyone knows prince Thorin." She drug his name out just as long and sarcastically as he had the word girl.

Thorin jerked Minty to a halt watching this girl storm off down the road. He smiled tightly and inhaled. "She has spirit this one does." He rubbed Minty's haunches as she nodded her head as if in agreement.

The young blonde haired girl looked over her shoulder every so often to see that the rude dwarfish prince was still on her trail. She muttered to herself huffing and hissing as her pace quickened. Between the late hours of the day rapidly approaching and her so called "escort" on pony back- her mood quickly turned sour. The more she stormed toward the keep, the more she cursed his arrogance. "How dare he call me a girl or speak to me in such a manner as if I were a lowly servant…..boorish oaf that he is… Prince or no prince…the very nerve." She did not noticed that he had closed the distance between them as his pony trotted at a quick gate. The young dwarf prince chuckled at her words. The gentle breeze and wisp of the beast passing her whipped her hair in swirls. Out of the corner of her eye she could see he was looking down at her with that smug smirk that crossed his lips. It only fueled her anger.

The dwarf prince brought the beast to a halt just beyond her, turned the reigns slightly as he looked into her emerald colored eyes with a sarcastic smirk. She stooped suddenly, standing full height as her head tilted sideways eyeing him sitting there on his steed. As Thorin inclined his head she crossed her arms over the swells of her small breasts, turned her head up and to the right. He chuckled throatily before clearing it.

"Child" he grunted heavily and thickly "come - there is no need for you to walk. I will give you a ride to Dale." He extended his hand. "If that is indeed your destination."

She turned completely around so her back was to him and furrowed her brows deeply as he roared a hardy laugh.

"Suit yourself." He turned giving his pony a gentle kick with his boots and click with his tongue. "Man child!" He muttered.